Blogging Away Debt Our Journeys to a Debt-Free Life

by Hope

This next month is going to fly by. I have enough work to pay January’s bills which gives me some breathing room to chase new ongoing work. Last December I was struggling on every level, every plan I had for 2023 had been quashed the by sudden end of my 5 year relationship and engagement, not to mention the ongoing job debacle. But it was really my personal life that threw 2023 for a loop. I did not start the new year in a good headspace at all.

And it has been a rough climb out of that all year. But I’m back.

My heart is mostly healed. I have reconnected some very special people from my high school years which has been very empowering. And I have grown accustomed to the new reality of being a mostly empty nester.

The world, this new year is all mine. So I will be using December to make plans and lists and setting goals for 2024.

Goals by Week

I have decided the best way to keep me on track is to make a list of weekly goals and post it here. This way, the BAD community can keep me accountable. I know you all will be excellent at that. Last week, I made a list of things I needed to or wanted to get done before Christmas.

Then I added all of them to my Task List that syncs with my calendar. I won’t bog down this post with everything, but the finance/work related tasks, here they are. (Let me know if I’ve missed anything.)

Week 1 – December 3

1. Create a $2,500 budget
2. List/re-list sellable items that might do better during this Christmas season (jewelry, old computer, etc.)
3. Research selling digital products online, make a list of steps and related resources

Week 2 – December 10

1. Create a master list from the business cards I have collected over the last couple of months
2. Create one digital product using Canva based on research done in Week 1
3. Do initial digital review of 6 from the list created in #1 this week and compose somewhat standardize communication to send them

Week 3 – December 17

1. Set up digital product (Step #2 previous week) to sell – Stripe, Printify, Etsy, landing page, etc? (These are not affiliate links, just tools I am exploring.)
2. Do initial digital review of 6 more from the list created in #1 previous week and compose somewhat standardize communication to send them

Note: Short week since the kids start arriving on December 21st so don’t want to over commit.

Week 4 – December 24

1. Create marketing plan for my new digital product and schedule it to begin in the new year.
2. Create second digital product? Maybe.
3. Do initial digital review of 6 more from the list created in #1 during the second week and compose somewhat standardize communication to send them

Note: Another short week since the kids will be in town until December 27th so don’t want to over commit.

Week 5 – December 31

1. Kick off marketing of my digital product #1.
2. Kick off initial contacts to my list of small businesses I’ve been working on.

Ongoing Work

Throughout all of this, I will continue to apply for local work and apply to corporate jobs with the different revisions to my resume that I’ve been working on. These goals are outside of those ongoing tasks that I work on pretty much daily in one form or another.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.

Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.

Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.